Hand truck for covered refuse cans



June 14, 1960 R. 1.. BLAND ETAL HAND TRUCK FOR COVERED REFUSE CANS Filed May 5, 1958 INVENTORS BIZ/M14 0 L bM/YD JUH/Y E (#6215 "var- United States Patent l F HAND TRUCK FOR COVERED REFUSE CANS Richard L. Bland, 111 N. Williams, Kennewick wash and John E. Cagle, 3212 W. Jefferson, Phoenix, Ariz- Filed May 5, 1958, Ser. No. 732,930

3 Claims. (Cl. 248-129) Our present invention relates to hand trucks which are particularly adapted to support and. convey a refuse can having a removable cover.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a wheeled hand truck having a can support base with substantially perpendicular standards constituting handles which truck provides means for conveniently transporting a refuse can from one location to another and has a spring biased arm adapted to be associated with the cover of a refuse can supported on said base to prevent accidental displacement of said cover and yet provide means for conveniently opening said can by lifting and temporarily securing said cover to said truck in a removed position.

In the accompanying drawings we have disclosed one preferred physical embodiment of our present invention, but it is to be understood that we do not desire to be unnecessarily limited to the actual physical structure shown, but desire to claim the invention broadly, limited only by the prior art as reflected in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which form a component part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved hand truck for a covered refuse can, showing a refuse can in broken lines with its cover in full lines, disposed in the open position;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section taken through the truck constituting the subject matter of the present invention and showing by broken lines the can with its cover in the closed position; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross section taken through the free end of the arm and the interconnecting bar of the standards as at line 33 of Figure 1.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, we have disclosed our hand truck for covered refuse cans as having a frame which includes a pair of laterally spaced upright standards 12-12 interconnected at their upper ends by means of a bar 14 and terminate at their lower ends in perpendicular laterally spaced parallel base members 16. It will be noted that the interconnecting bar at the upper ends of the standards is in reality an arcuate continuation of the standards which preferably but not necessarily are formed from a single length of tubing bent midway its length to form parallel standard members 12 extending from the interconnecting bar 14, and thence bent in planes each common to its particular standard 12 and 90 from the bend forming the crossbar 14 to form base members 16. Substantially at the arcuate juncture of the base members 16 and the standards 12, we provide a laterally disposed axle 18 upon the ends of which are journaled wheels 20 for mobilizing the refuse can frame.

It will be noted that J-bolts 22 extend through apertures formed in the frame 10 and nuts 24 tighten said Patented June 14, 1960 ice J-bolts to clamp the axle 18 to the frame as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing.

The base members 16 are interconnected by means of a tie bar-26 which is bolted or otherwise secured at 28 to each of the base members 16, thus forming a unitary base 30 adapted to receive and support a refuse can as C thereon.

In addition to tying the base members 16 together to form a unitary. base 30, the bar 26 provides means, for positioning the can C on the base to prevent its slippage or accidental removal therefrom. It will be noted that thebar 26 and its fastening means 28 extend upwardly within the downwardly presented peripheral flange F of the refuse can C as clearly seen in Figure 2.

At substantially the height of the refuse can C where its cover L is disposed, the refuse can truck is provided with a vertically tiltable arm 32 which is formed from a length of wire by bending it midway its length to provide a laterally disposed hand grip portion 34 terminating at each end in parallel members 36 which, substantially midway their length at 38, are bent into divergence with respect to each other so that the ends opposed to the hand grip 34 are disposed at substantially the inner faces of the standards 12. At these ends the handle 32 has outwardly bent axially aligned ears 40 which constitute pivot pins for the handle 32. These pins extend through apertures 42 formed in the standards 12 and are held therein. It will thus be seen that the arm 32 is supported for vertical tilting movement of its outer end about the axes of ears 40 alternately to and between the full line positions of Figures 1 and 2.

At its outer end the arm 32 is provided with latch means 44 which is adapted to cooperate with the interconnecting bar 14 for the standards 12 to releasably secure the arm in the vertical position shown in Figure 1 and yet permit its movement to the lowered position shown in Figure 2 with the resultant respective positioning of the cover L in its open position and its closed position. The latch means comprises the parallel members 36 being bent into coincident hooks 46 so that they hook over the bar 14 as shown and are retained by the inherent resiliency of the material of arm 32.

To assist in maintaining the cover L in its closed position, we provide torsion springs 48 at the pivotal interconnection of the arm 32 and the standards 12. Obviously any resilient means for urging the arm 32 to the lowered position as seen in Figure 2 will suflice for maintaining the cover L in its closed position. I

Having thus described our invention, we desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States the followmg:

1. A hand truck for a covered refuse can and the like, comprising a wheeled frame including vertical standards integrally united at their upper ends and terminating at their lower ends in spaced substantially perpendicular can "support base members extending forwardly from the wheels; a spring wire arm having axially aligned spaced pivot pins at its inner end journaled one on each standard for vertical tilting movement of the free end of said arm; latch means on the free end of said arm; said latch being adapted to releasably interlock with the interconnected upper ends of said standards for releasably securing said arm in a vertical position; resilient means urging said arm toward a lowered position; and means for interconnecting said arm to the cover of a can supported on said base members for yieldingly holding said cover in covering relation to said can and adapted to remove said cover when moved to the said vertical position.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said arm comprises a length of wire folded midway its length to provide spaced parallel branches for a portion of the I length of said arm, and said branches being bent toform coincident resilient books at its outer end and constituting said latch means.

3 A hand truck for a covered refuse can and the like comprising an endless tubular frame member formed to provide a pair of vertical standards united at their upper ends by a central portion of said frame member censtitut-ing a crossbar and terminating at their lower ends in coextensive parallel substantiaily perpendicular base members; a tie bar extending laterally of said frame and having its ends rigidly fixed to-saidbase members intermediate their lengths; an axle parallel to said tie-bar tures of said base members and saidstandards; wheels journal'ed on the ends of said axle; said standards having a pair of axially aligned apertures therein intermediate their verticallengths; a spring 'wire arm formed from a length of wirefolded midway its length to provide spaced parallel branches for a portion of the length of said arm, said branches being bent to form coincident resilient books at the outer end of said arm which constitutelateh means, said branches diverging from said; outer end to their inner ends and terminating in oppositely extending journal pins, one disposed-in each said aperture and secured for vertical tilting movement of said arm; said latch being disposed to hook over the said cross bar to releasably secure the arm in a vertical position; resilient means urging said arm toward a lowered position; and said arm adapted to pass through the handle of a can cover for interconnecting said arm to the cover of a can supportedaen said base members-and: alternately holding said cover out of covering relation to said can when "the arrn isflisposed in the vertical position and by means" of said resilient means yieldingiy' holding said v g cover in covering; relation tosaid can, and rigidly secured to said frame member'at the junc- References "Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,598,135 Heinson Aug. 31, 1926 2,597,722" Goldberg May 20, 1952 $650,786 Plat-t Sept: 1, 1953 2,732,155 Stanley Jan. 24, 1956 2,841,351 Riepen July 1, 1958 

